Team building reached new heights for the staff at Costa Coffee in Knaresborough last week.

Four members of the ten strong team, including manager Alan Shires, climbed Ben Nevis to raise money for the Costa Foundation.

The group who work at the Costa Coffee on St James Retail Park climbed the 1,344 metres to the top of Britain’s highest peak last Tuesday (August 11).

Alan, who has been the branch manager in Knaresborough since it opened a year ago, had previously climbed Mount Snowdon for the foundation and was the most experienced climber of the group.

He said: “It was a very tough climb, very, very tough.

“It was sunny at the bottom, then when we got to the top there was snow everywhere, it was like a blizzard, we were soaked right through.

“We were the last ones down from the mountain but we just had to take it slowly, we had a few slips and falls but we managed it. The conditions were nothing like you would expect for August.

“It was absolutely worth it though to raise money for the foundation.”

The arduous trek took the group more than eight hours and the team then faces a damp night sleeping in a tent before heading back to Knaresborough.

So far the team has raised £600, and regular customers have given generously.

Alan added: “I first heard about the foundation when I was working in a different branch on Costa coffee and you can really see what the money will go to. Costa will match fund what we have raised too, so it will be at least £1200.”

The foundation works to eradicate poverty in coffee growing regions, predominately through education.

In the last eight years the foundation had built 259 classrooms in 46 schools across eight countries; Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Uganda and Vietnam.